Des Plaines Commute Time Map & Patterns
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Commute Time Burden in Des Plaines: Annual Hours and Cost
Commuters in Des Plaines spend about 53 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 219 hours, about 9.1 full days, spent commuting. That is 11% more time on the road than the Illinois average of 23.6 minutes each way, a difference of 2.7 minutes.
Des Plaines holds about 0.5% of Illinois's population and accounts for roughly 0.5% of its total commuting time.
Working from home just 2 days a week in Des Plaines would save about 88 hours of drive time a year, worth roughly $2,721 at the same national wage assumption used above.
| Area | One-Way Commute | Daily Round-Trip | Yearly Time Spent | Estimated Yearly Cost | Local Road Traffic (VPD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Plaines | 26.3 min | 52.7 min | 219 hrs/yr | $6,802 | 3,399 |
| Illinois | 23.6 min | 47.3 min | 197 hrs/yr | $6,104 | 1,547 |
| United States | 22.4 min | 44.8 min | 187 hrs/yr | $5,790 | 1,355 |
The estimated yearly cost applies a single national rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area - treat it as a rough estimate, not a paycheck figure. Local road traffic counts, vehicles per day on non-highway roads, come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Des Plaines Commute Map
On average, it takes 26.3 minutes to get to work in Des Plaines. That's 17% longer than the 22.4-minute U.S. average.
The most common departure window is 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM, followed by 08:00 AM – 08:29 AM. Driving is the most common commute choice, followed by working from home. About 13.6% work from home.
How People Get to Work in Des Plaines
- Car: 78.4%
- Worked at Home: 13.6%
- Public Transportation: 4.0%
- Walked: 1.7%
- Other: 1.5%
- Taxi: 0.4%
- Bicycle: 0.3%
- Motorcycle: < 0.1%
Commute Mode Trends in Des Plaines, 2009-2024
This chart shows how workers in Des Plaines get to work, as a share of all workers aged 16 and over, across 16 U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) releases from 2009 to 2024. Each release is a 5-year estimate: the 2024 figures cover surveys taken from 2020 to 2024. Because neighboring releases share most of their survey years, the lines move gradually, and a sudden change such as the rise of remote work in 2020 spreads across several releases. Hover over or tap a line to highlight it, and use the legend to show or hide a mode. Driving starts hidden so the smaller modes stay readable.
Show commute mode data by year
| Year | Car | Worked at Home | Public Transportation | Walked | Other | Taxi | Bicycle | Motorcycle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 87.1% | 2.7% | 7.4% | 1.6% | 0.7% | 0.1% | 0.4% | 0.0% |
| 2010 | 87.1% | 2.7% | 7.7% | 1.3% | 0.7% | 0.1% | 0.4% | 0.1% |
| 2011 | 88.0% | 2.4% | 7.1% | 1.4% | 0.7% | 0.1% | 0.4% | 0.1% |
| 2012 | 87.8% | 2.8% | 6.9% | 1.2% | 0.6% | 0.1% | 0.6% | 0.1% |
| 2013 | 87.9% | 3.1% | 6.5% | 1.2% | 0.7% | 0.1% | 0.4% | 0.1% |
| 2014 | 87.2% | 3.4% | 6.9% | 1.2% | 0.7% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.1% |
| 2015 | 87.3% | 3.7% | 6.4% | 1.1% | 1.0% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.0% |
| 2016 | 86.9% | 4.0% | 6.1% | 1.5% | 0.9% | 0.2% | 0.4% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 86.5% | 4.3% | 6.3% | 1.6% | 0.8% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 86.0% | 4.2% | 6.7% | 1.7% | 0.7% | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 86.6% | 3.9% | 6.4% | 1.8% | 0.8% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.1% |
| 2020 | 83.8% | 6.0% | 6.6% | 2.0% | 0.9% | 0.1% | 0.4% | 0.1% |
| 2021 | 82.6% | 8.5% | 5.6% | 1.7% | 1.1% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.1% |
| 2022 | 82.0% | 9.8% | 4.9% | 1.6% | 1.2% | 0.1% | 0.4% | 0.1% |
| 2023 | 80.6% | 11.4% | 4.2% | 2.0% | 1.2% | 0.1% | 0.6% | 0.1% |
| 2024 | 78.4% | 13.6% | 4.0% | 1.7% | 1.5% | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.1% |
Driving was the most common way to get to work in every release from 2009 to 2024. Its share peaked in 2011 at 88.0%. Overall it fell from 87.1% in 2009 to 78.4% in 2024, down 8.7 percentage points. It has fallen in each of the last 5 releases.
Working from home gained the most ground in Des Plaines: its share of workers rose from 2.7% in 2009 to 13.6% in 2024, up 10.9 percentage points. Most of that increase, 9.7 points, came in the releases after 2019, which include the pandemic years.
Public transit lost the most ground, falling from 7.4% to 4.0% of workers (down 3.4 percentage points).
Working from home overtook public transit to become the 2nd most common choice in the 2021 release and has stayed ahead since.
Commute Start Times in Des Plaines
What Time Do People Leave for Work in Des Plaines?
The bars show when commuters in Des Plaines leave home for work, as a share of everyone who commutes (people who work from home are not counted), from the 2024 ACS 5-year estimates. The thin violet marks show Illinois for comparison. Hover over or tap a row for the exact numbers.
| 12:00-4:59 AM |
12:00-4:59 AM
Des Plaines7.3%
Illinois5.6%
|
7.3% |
|---|---|---|
| 5:00-5:29 AM |
5:00-5:29 AM
Des Plaines3.0%
Illinois4.3%
|
3.0% |
| 5:30-5:59 AM |
5:30-5:59 AM
Des Plaines4.2%
Illinois4.9%
|
4.2% |
| 6:00-6:29 AM |
6:00-6:29 AM
Des Plaines10.1%
Illinois9.0%
|
10.1% |
| 6:30-6:59 AM |
6:30-6:59 AM
Des Plaines8.8%
Illinois9.4%
|
8.8% |
| 7:00-7:29 AM |
7:00-7:29 AM
Des Plaines14.6%
Illinois14.3%
|
14.6% |
| 7:30-7:59 AM |
7:30-7:59 AM
Des Plaines9.6%
Illinois11.6%
|
9.6% |
| 8:00-8:29 AM |
8:00-8:29 AM
Des Plaines12.3%
Illinois11.2%
|
12.3% |
| 8:30-8:59 AM |
8:30-8:59 AM
Des Plaines5.8%
Illinois5.2%
|
5.8% |
| 9:00-9:59 AM |
9:00-9:59 AM
Des Plaines5.5%
Illinois6.1%
|
5.5% |
| 10:00-10:59 AM |
10:00-10:59 AM
Des Plaines2.7%
Illinois2.9%
|
2.7% |
| 11:00-11:59 AM |
11:00-11:59 AM
Des Plaines1.4%
Illinois1.5%
|
1.4% |
| 12:00-3:59 PM |
12:00-3:59 PM
Des Plaines7.3%
Illinois7.7%
|
7.3% |
| 4:00-11:59 PM |
4:00-11:59 PM
Des Plaines7.2%
Illinois6.3%
|
7.2% |
Des Plaines Illinois Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year estimates
The busiest time to head out in Des Plaines is 7:00-7:29 AM, when 14.6% of commuters leave home, compared with 14.3% across Illinois. Early starts are about as common as in Illinois: 14.5% of commuters leave before 6 AM, versus 14.8% there. The morning rush looks much like Illinois's: 45.4% of departures fall in the two hours from 6:30 to 8:29 AM, versus 46.5% there. About 1 in 4 commuters (24.1%) leave at 9 AM or later, which usually points to shift work, flexible hours or part-time jobs.
When people leave matters as much as how far they go. Rush-hour traffic shrinks how much ground a 20-minute trip covers, so a trade area drawn as a simple circle often takes in neighborhoods that customers or staff would never drive from and misses others that are an easy trip. A drive-time zone, also called an isochrone, outlines every place within a set number of minutes of an address, which makes it the more honest way to size a store's catchment, a hiring area or the commute from a new home.
See it for yourself on the interactive map: click any spot in Des Plaines, pick a 5, 10, 15 or 30-minute drive and see the local demographics of the people who live within that exact drive time.
Is Des Plaines Waking Up Earlier? Typical Departure Time, 2009-2024
Each line follows the typical (median) departure time: the moment by which half of commuters have already left home. Higher on the chart means a later start. Setting Des Plaines next to Illinois and the U.S. shows whether local mornings are drifting earlier or later than everyone else's. The figures span 16 ACS 5-year releases, so changes build up gradually rather than jumping from one year to the next.
Show typical departure times by year
| Year | Des Plaines | Illinois | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 7:50 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2010 | 7:47 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2011 | 7:46 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2012 | 7:43 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2013 | 7:40 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:39 AM |
| 2014 | 7:39 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:39 AM |
| 2015 | 7:39 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2016 | 7:36 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2017 | 7:33 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2018 | 7:32 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2019 | 7:31 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2020 | 7:30 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2021 | 7:29 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2022 | 7:32 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2023 | 7:34 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2024 | 7:36 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:38 AM |
In 2024, half of commuters in Des Plaines were on the road by 7:36 AM, 14 minutes earlier than in 2009 (7:50 AM). That goes against the trend across Illinois, where the typical commuter now leaves 1 minute later than in 2009. Commuters in Des Plaines now leave 2 minutes earlier than the typical American commuter (7:38 AM). Since the 2019 release, which covers the years just before the pandemic, the typical start in Des Plaines has moved 5 minutes later.
How does Des Plaines's commute time compare?
| Metric | Des Plaines | Illinois | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. Commute Time | 26.3 min | 23.6 min | 22.4 min |
| Departure Window | 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM | 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM | 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM |
| Secondary Departure Window | 08:00 AM – 08:29 AM | 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM | 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM |
| Work From Home | 13.6% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Walked | 1.7% | 2.8% | 2.4% |
| Public Transit | 4.0% | 5.8% | 3.2% |
The average commute time in Des Plaines is 26.3 minutes, longer than the 23.6 minutes in Illinois.
4.0% commute by public transit, lower than the 5.8% in Illinois. 1.7% commute by walking, lower than the 2.8% in Illinois.
Des Plaines, IL Commute Compared With Nearby Cities
How Des Plaines, IL compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | One-way commute | Work from home | Typical departure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Plaines, IL | 61,932 | 26.3 min #2/3 | 13.6% #3/3 | 7:36 AM #1/3 |
| Mount Prospect, IL | 54,782 | 22.8 min | 18.8% | 7:41 AM |
| Park Ridge, IL | 37,584 | 26.5 min | 23.1% | 7:54 AM |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about commuting in Des Plaines, Illinois.
Is commuting expensive in Des Plaines, Illinois?
Commuters here spend an estimated 219 hours a year on the road, worth roughly $6,802 at a typical national wage. That's 11% more than the typical Illinois commuter spends.
What time should you leave for work to avoid traffic in Des Plaines, Illinois?
Traffic peaks between 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM in Des Plaines, Illinois. Leaving before or after this window is the single easiest way to avoid the heaviest local congestion, though 08:00 AM – 08:29 AM also sees a secondary bump.